1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to automated material handling, and, in particular, to a high speed picking system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Previous high speed automated picking systems generally required that the picking head travel at high speeds and accelerate and decelerate at high rates so that substantial G forces were generated. This created control difficulties and placed great demands on the mechanisms. In general, previous automated picking systems were designed so that, in response to the receipt of several orders, each for several different objects, the picking head picked objects from several different storage containers and consolidated them by order in handling or shipping receptacles. The sorting of the orders into the receiving receptacles was generally accomplished by the picking head. The picking was generally done sequentially, that is, all of the objects for one order were picked and placed in the receiving receptacle before any of the objects for the next order were picked. The objects to be picked were generally distributed throughout several different storage containers. The picking head was thus required to travel substantial distances between storage containers and the receiving receptacle, passing over objects which would be needed to fill the next or subsequent orders. Further, the receiving receptacles were generally located on conveyors so that they were continually moving. This required the picking head to coordinate with the movement of the conveyor. The picking head was continually required to reverse directions, and accelerate to and travel at high speeds over considerable distances. Because of the velocities and acceleration forces, the structural and power requirements to drive the picking head and its components were very substantial.
Those concerned with these problems recognize the need for an improved picking system. These and other difficulties of the prior art have been overcome according to the present invention.